Alright, let me ask ya'll a question. Exactly how many times did Charla use her size to her advantage? Let's see, in the first leg she didn't exactly use her size as an excuse for that man to carry their bags while she and Mirna carried the meat, and if the man did it for that reason, it was because he wanted to, not because he was asked to specifically help her for her size.

In leg 2, she used it to be able to get on the ferry. Mirna used the size excuse to get them a ride on the little cab on the cemetery, something they would have been able to use even without the size excuse. In leg 3, they used it to get priority on the waiting list for plane tickets.

And if there were any other times after the third leg in which they used the size excuse, I very much failed to see them whatsoever. So Charla used her size advantage like 2 or 3 times throughout the entire race, and only in the first 3 legs. Why do people keep complaining then? She's right, you use what you got, and she proved to everybody that she is indeed capable of doing everything a person of normal size can do.

Simply put, that whole hating Charla for using her size as an advantage is absolute bull. [mod edit]

09-02-2004, 01:46 PM

He3x

I believe there are 2 issues here. First, whether it's okay for Charla to use her physical disadvantage to get ahead. Second, whether her claim to prove that she can do what normal people can.

To the first issue, I believe she has rights to use physical disadvantage to get ahead (although I agree that lying is definitely wrong). Remember she has to run at least twice faster to catch Mirna or others. She can probably carry less items, or eat half of normal people. These things justified her use of her disadvantage to get ahead. With using what's on her disposal, I believe she still comes short.

Second, it's not being equal that she claimed. She's not equal to begin with. No matter what she does, she's not equal. Same thing with disabled persons, they're not equal, that's why they're called 'disabled'. No matter what, she can't do like what normal people can. That's why we give people like Charla special priviledge for them to gain dignity and respect because they're, too, human beings.

09-02-2004, 02:44 PM

karalott

Quote:

Originally Posted by He3x

I believe there are 2 issues here. First, whether it's okay for Charla to use her physical disadvantage to get ahead. Second, whether her claim to prove that she can do what normal people can.

To the first issue, I believe she has rights to use physical disadvantage to get ahead (although I agree that lying is definitely wrong). Remember she has to run at least twice faster to catch Mirna or others. She can probably carry less items, or eat half of normal people. These things justified her use of her disadvantage to get ahead. With using what's on her disposal, I believe she still comes short.

Second, it's not being equal that she claimed. She's not equal to begin with. No matter what she does, she's not equal. Same thing with disabled persons, they're not equal, that's why they're called 'disabled'. No matter what, she can't do like what normal people can. That's why we give people like Charla special priviledge for them to gain dignity and respect because they're, too, human beings.

Ahem- not to get into a big discussion about what makes a person equal but I have a friend who's a dwarf and she's no less of an equal than I am. She has two kids, drives a car (petal extenders but no other special gadgets) and she works a full time job. You trying telling her that she can't do something and she'll prove you wrong. Obviously, some things are a little harder for her than for me (she's a little above 4 ft.) but there are some things she can do better. And I'm trying to come off as sounding pissy, so I hope that's not the impression I give.

Secondly, if Charla wants to use her disability to get herself ahead in this race, I give her support. In TAR3, we saw Andrew trying to get out of Mexico and he went as far as to say that his mother was very sick. So what's the difference between that and C&M "she needs a doctor-o" comment? And in getting a ride in the cemetery, had Mirna run up to the guy and said "my cousin can run the way so we really don't need you but can you give us a ride anyway" do you think he would have stuck around or driven off? It's a strategy. And despite the fact that C&M are out due to one terrible mistake, I still think they're as good of racers as C&C. Who knows what the outcome would have been had Colin not helped the other teams and they had to fend for themselves. C&M have done they're own thing, I don't see that they did anything wrong in using Charla's height to they're advantage, and the rest of the pack has been playing Follow Mr. Intensity.

09-02-2004, 03:00 PM

Dave_B

Quote:

Originally Posted by He3x

Second, it's not being equal that she claimed. She's not equal to begin with. No matter what she does, she's not equal. Same thing with disabled persons, they're not equal, that's why they're called 'disabled'. No matter what, she can't do like what normal people can. That's why we give people like Charla special priviledge for them to gain dignity and respect because they're, too, human beings.

Quote:

Originally Posted by karalott

Ahem- not to get into a big discussion about what makes a person equal but I have a friend who's a dwarf and she's no less of an equal than I am. She has two kids, drives a car (petal extenders but no other special gadgets) and she works a full time job. You trying telling her that she can't do something and she'll prove you wrong. Obviously, some things are a little harder for her than for me (she's a little above 4 ft.) but there are some things she can do better. And I'm trying to come off as sounding pissy, so I hope that's not the impression I give.

Ok, I can understand what He3x is saying. "Disabled" people are called that for a reason. Not that Charla is necessarily disabled, she's to be more appropriately called handicapped, I guess. But, she IS handicapped for a reason, and NO, she is not equal. If I'm 6' tall, for her to be equal to me, she'd have to be 6' tall as well. And no, dwarfs can NOT do everything "regular people" can do. Let's see Mirna or your friend keep up with Kami and Karli in a 2 mile run. Obviously as human beings we are all equals, but there are physical limitations set upon dwarfs and midgets that cannot be pretended away. They are there. As for Charla using her size as an advantage...I don't like it. She comes on the show preaching about "Showing the world she can do everything regular people do"...then she goes about NOT doing everything regular people do. She was a walking contradiction, a huge hipocrisy. Other than that, I didn't mind her.

-Dave_B

09-02-2004, 03:15 PM

karalott

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave_B

Ok, I can understand what He3x is saying. "Disabled" people are called that for a reason. Not that Charla is necessarily disabled, she's to be more appropriately called handicapped, I guess. But, she IS handicapped for a reason, and NO, she is not equal. If I'm 6' tall, for her to be equal to me, she'd have to be 6' tall as well. And no, dwarfs can NOT do everything "regular people" can do. Let's see Mirna or your friend keep up with Kami and Karli in a 2 mile run. Obviously as human beings we are all equals, but there are physical limitations set upon dwarfs and midgets that cannot be pretended away. They are there. As for Charla using her size as an advantage...I don't like it. She comes on the show preaching about "Showing the world she can do everything regular people do"...then she goes about NOT doing everything regular people do. She was a walking contradiction, a huge hipocrisy. Other than that, I didn't mind her.

-Dave_B

I don't consider her a walking contradiction. She used her height to help them out. It's a lose/lose situation either way for her, because if she came on and said "I'm going to pretend I can't do anything for myself just so people will help me because that's what all little people do" she would have gotten ragged on for that as well. Charla may not have been the fastest runner there, but there are other racers who are considered "equal" like the brothers, Bob/Joyce, Chip/Kim, but I doubt any of them could beat the twins or C&C in a footrace. Does that make them any less equal because they're older or overweight?

My friend took Charla saying that as this: she wants to be treated as a person, not like a freak. She wants to be treated equal and show people she can do thing for herself and not rely on people to help her with everyday things. I've known my friend all of my life, so I've seen a lot of stuff said to her and seen how people react around her. Granted, I'll never understand how she actually feels, but when someone says she can't do something because of her dwarfism, she considers it to be dehumanizing. Maybe Charla didn't mean it that way, but that's how she took it.

09-02-2004, 03:19 PM

Feifer

If you are going by height as a measure for equality then there are few people who are equal in the race. It is not like everyone else is 5'7" to Charla's lesser stature. I bet if you measured the remaining teams then few would have the same stride. You use what you have to get through no matter who you are or what your heights is. Some people are physically strong, some mentally and some neither, some both. None of the teams are truly equal because of the endless combinations of personality, temperaments, intelligence and strength to mention a few factors.

09-02-2004, 03:33 PM

cable101

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super Goten

If Colin and Charla were head to head on the egg, Colin would have been gone a long time ago. Too bad that couldn't have happened.

Oh, well you've changed my mind about Charla and Mirna now. You mean there was this one challenge where Charla and Mirna could have beat Colin and Christie? Well, that proves it...Charla and Mirna must be the better racers.:rolleyes

Charla and Mirna lost fair and square. Maybe they were better than some of the remaining teams (Kami and Karli probably deserved to come in last based on race skill). But Colin and Christie were much better racers than them. I don't care how much you hate Colin and Christie...they are absolutely better racers than these cousins.

And I think I should point out that the reason I hated this team so much was only Mirna. I don't love Charla, as much as some of you do, but that's probably only because she was on the same team as Mirna. Mirna was amazingly whiny throughout the entire race, and she did absolutely nothing to redeem herself at any point.

09-02-2004, 03:40 PM

haejin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super Goten

In my opinion, Charla and Mirna were incredibly great racers that only got eliminated because of bad luck. If Colin and Charla were head to head on the egg, Colin would have been gone a long time ago. Too bad that couldn't have happened.

Uh, no. I recall Colin/Christie coming in 2nd place in that leg despite of the egg. Now, of course you might mean if the two of them were in last place racing head to head. If so, C/C might've lost. However, I must say as you said, too bad that couldn't have happened.

09-02-2004, 03:57 PM

karalott

Quote:

Originally Posted by cable101

Oh, well you've changed my mind about Charla and Mirna now. You mean there was this one challenge where Charla and Mirna could have beat Colin and Christie? Well, that proves it...Charla and Mirna must be the better racers.:rolleyes

Charla and Mirna lost fair and square. Maybe they were better than some of the remaining teams (Kami and Karli probably deserved to come in last based on race skill). But Colin and Christie were much better racers than them. I don't care how much you hate Colin and Christie...they are absolutely better racers than these cousins.

And I think I should point out that the reason I hated this team so much was only Mirna. I don't love Charla, as much as some of you do, but that's probably only because she was on the same team as Mirna. Mirna was amazingly whiny throughout the entire race, and she did absolutely nothing to redeem herself at any point.

A matter of opinion, because I don't consider C&C to be any better racers than C&M. It was a mistake the cousins made, and not really a mistake, just bad luck. Had they're flight not been delayed, they'd still be in it.

Mirna reminds me a lot of my friend's sister, which is why I looked at her and her actions a little differently than some of you, and gave her some slack. Meaning I don't consider her to be a psycho screeching wild woman with a victim's complex.

09-02-2004, 04:23 PM

JR.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rembrant

So Charla used her size advantage like 2 or 3 times throughout the entire race, and only in the first 3 legs. Why do people keep complaining then?

Simply put, that whole hating Charla for using her size as an advantage is absolute bull.

Because SHE said at the beginning that she didn't want to use it, and then went ahead and used it. It doesn't matter if it was only 2 or 3 times, she wanted it both ways. If she never brought it up to begin with, I wouldn't have a problem.